Honorable Mentions 2009

These are songs or albums that we thought deserved a mention, even though they didn't quite make our Best Albums list.

Noah and the Whale - The First Days of Spring

Diana fought hard to get this album on our Best Albums list, as it was one of her favorites of the year, but there weren't quite enough votes for it, so we're giving it an honorable mention. Here's what she had to say about the album: "Sometimes I'm just drawn to sad things, and I love a good breakup song; it's not a bad deal when you get some respite in the end. Next time you feel snubbed by your guy or gal, try a healthy dose of 'Blue Skies.'"

Blue Skies [mp3] - (iTunes)

Regina Spektor – Far

Even though Regina Spektor remains one of our top musicians of all time, her latest release, Far, was not as crazy, spunky, elegantly raw or as zesty as hoped. There were standout tracks that enticed the popular masses like "Laughing With," the earworm "Eet," and the dark and buzzing "Machine," but after a dozen or so listens, we found myself wanting to listen more to Regina's numbers from years past (like "Prisoners" and "Baby Jesus"). It was good album, don't get us wrong, but not groundbreaking for Spektor, and so we place her here amongst the honorable mentions.
Machine [mp3] - (iTunes)

Alvin Band - Mantis Preying
What an interesting concept - an album of vocal experimentation, where all the sounds on the whole album are made by one guy's voice (Rick Alvin Schaier). The variety of sounds and the range of his voice is pretty impressive on it's own, and Mantis Preying has a few really stellar tracks, such as the haunting "Mystery of the Yellow Room," a very dark and incredibly well put together Phantom of the Opera medley.

Mystery of the Yellow Room [mp3] - (iTunes)

Lady Gaga - The Fame Monster

The Fame Monster doesn't quite compare to Lady Gaga's debut, The Fame. There's only really one standout hit that we really liked - "Bad Romance" - whereas The Fame was stuffed full of crazy dance hits. However, Lady Gaga continues to be an amazing performer and I'm sure we can expect her to dominate the dance scene for years to come.
Bad Romance [mp3] - (iTunes)

Anni Rossi – Rockwell
Em predicted that Anni Rossi would make it in the music world many years ago, when they went to the same high school and Em saw her perform at the music shows there. Anni's versatility and playful style will take her far, and she has drawn comparisons to everyone from Regina Spektor to PJ Harvey to the Jonas Brothers (seriously?). Her label debut, Rockwell, shows off her skills well, despite its lack of production value, and is a good sign of the wonderful things we can expect from her in the future.

Wheelpusher [mp3] - (iTunes)

Loney Dear - Dear John

Loney Dear have the gift of being one of those bands who shine brighter in concert than on album format, but it does help when you have good stuff to work with in the first place. This Swedish multi-instrumental syllabic-infused orchestral pop wonder retains a more mature and aged sound than Loney Dear's previous works, and the tracks nicelybop along on top a quiet foundation of synths and Emil Svanangen's gentle-yet-energetic falsetto voice. All in all, Svanangen manages to bring forth something totally different and wonderful, songs that both move the foot and the soul, while tapping into the child-like exhilaration that lingers within the depths of all of us.
Airport Surroundings [mp3] - (iTunes)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs always show us a good time, and It's Blitz! has a few very solid dance tracks on it, sure to make you rock out, such as "Zero," or the oft-remixed "Heads Will Roll." There's also the pretty ballad, "Runaway," which we were impressed by, as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs aren't all that known for ballads.

Zero [mp3] - (iTunes)

The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You

The title track from this album was one of the best ballads to emerge from 2009, as Scott and Seth Avett are masters at crooning thoughtful mellow-rock piano and banjo numbers with conversational yet pensively beautiful lyrics such as "Acting like someone I know isn't me/ ill with want and poisoned by this ugly greed." While the songs are wonderfully produced and the feeling is fantastically poignant, the focus remains on the ballads, never indulging the listener with enough bang to push the boundaries.
I and Love and You [mp3] - (iTunes)

Beyonce - "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"
"Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" actually came out in 2008, but it was everywhere this year so we think it deserves a mention. From the Beyonce/Justin Timberlake/Adam Samburg music video spoof on SNL, to the football team on Glee to the middle-aged guy at the dueling piano bar (sorry, no video of that one) - this dance inspired many amazing pop culture moments, and for that, Beyonce (and Beyonce's choreographers), we thank you.

Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) [mp3] - (iTunes)

Tegan and Sara - "Hell"

Tegan & Sara's frenzied rock 'n' roll single "Hell," from their album Sainthood, is sure to make you sing along, if you can keep up with the quick lyrics. The rest of the album has some catchy songs, but "Hell" definitely stands (or rocks) out high above the rest and is one of our favorite singles of this year.
Hell [mp3] - (iTunes)

Chris Garneau - El Radio
Chris Garneau's reminds of us of a male version of Regina Spektor in her earlier days - alternating between gorgeous, heartfelt ballads and playful, dark, intricate (some might even say "weird") pieces. Most of his songs are piano based and he has a versatile, unique voice. Considering how much we love Regina here at GFP, that comparison is a pretty massive compliment. But make no mistake - just because we are comparing them, does not mean that Chris Garneau's music is not his own. Quite the contrary, Garneau is unique and refreshingly different.

Dirty Night Clowns [mp3] - (iTunes)

Owl City - "Fireflies"

Within the music blog world Owl City is quite disputed. We have to say, as much as it might sound like a rip off of Death Cab or Postal Service (can Adam Young really help it if his voice sounds just like Ben Gibbard's?), "Fireflies" is a damn catchy song and even a really sweet, earnest one at that. Plus the guy recorded it in his basement in small town Minnesota and now it's gone double platinum. That's pretty impressive.
Fireflies [mp3] - (iTunes)

Romona Falls - Intuit
A solo side project of Menomena's Brent Knopf, these swirling, tortuously layered, almost sinister songs masterfully weave in and out of various genres, but remain anchored in an acoustic guitar-layered dreamland of sorts that is reminiscent of folk-experimental Grizzly Bear. The album reverberates all over the place, and although it is certainly one of those albums to be digested time and time again, some tracks like "Going Once, Going Twice" fall short, marring the overall experience.

Russia [mp3] - (iTunes)

Kings of Convenience – "Boat Behind"

This is a quite catchy song off of a solid album put out by this Norwegian duo. "Boat Behind" reminds us of summertime and the carefree days spent with good friends. The uniqueness of their music manifests itself in this song, and it stands out as the best offering from their recent album Declaration of Dependence. The video for the song is a must-see as well.
Boat Behind [mp3] - (iTunes)

The Swell Season - Strict Joy
From the duo made famous by their "little film that could," Once, continues to produce music together under the name The Swell Season. The deep voice of Glen Hansard is complimented well by the soft voice of Marketa Irglova, and his guitar and her piano provide a nice balance as well. As the album is about the end of their relationship together, it is part of an emotional journey we've all experienced a time or two.

In These Arms [mp3] - (iTunes)

Olafur Arnalds - Found Songs

Good Classical-based Indie/Electronica is hard to come by these days, especially when it needs to compare itself to the likes of Yann Tiersen and Sigur Ros. When you find it and then learn that the composer only created the 7-song album as part of a personal challenge to write a song every day for a week, you start to get into "blown away" territory. The songs are extremely well polished - laden with divine emotional piano melodies, garnished with thick dramatic strings and pin-pricked with precise and well-thought out electronica. The only complaint, outside perhaps of it staying within its basic genre boundaries, is that there is not more to listen to.
Ljósið [mp3] - (iTunes)

Clare and the Reasons - Allow
With her light, airy voice and her saccharine, bouncy music, Clare and the Reasons are always a pleasure to listen to (or watch live). That catchy, summery tunes will get stuck in your head for days, but you won't mind because the songs are just so pleasant that you can't help but smile, bop your head and whistle along.
All The Wine [mp3] - (iTunes)

Regina Spektor @ The State Theater in Minneapolis

Regina Spektor kicked off her American tour in Minneapolis on Friday night and I was privileged to attend (many thanks to Stephen from Big Hassle Media for wrangling those tickets). Before I start the review though, I must say one thing:

Regina fans, don't do drugs. Especially if you plan to attend one of her concerts and managed to get seats in the first two rows. Because you'll stand up, dance as if you have invisible glowsticks that you need to twirl as high as you can above your head, sing drunkenly loudly, and try to drop it like its hot even though Regina is singing "Lacrimosa." Oh yeah, and you'll make everyone hate you. And quite possibly refer to you as the idiotic crimped-hair brunette with a red shirt that looks like a bear tried to maul her who is alongside a vapid Kate Gosselin look-a-like with a tacky outfit. I don't know, that might happen. I've never taken drugs prior to a concert, so of course this is all merely speculation, but you will detract much of Regina's performance for those who have the misfortune of being at the same concert and sitting within a mile of you, so just don't do it.

Ok, to the concert. Regina graced the stage in a cute tessellation dress with red mary jane pumps, grinning ear to ear, and sat down to the Steinway grand piano to start things off with a bouncy "The Calculation" with a cello, violin and drums in tow. Regina's voice carried strong and true but with a noticeable edge of apprehension. Regina commented on how she was nervous given the fact that it was her first show in a while and she was kicking off her states tour. She did make a few mistakes here and there throughout the concert, but the audience was quick to let her know she was still awesome in their eyes. She was personable with the audience in her usual cute quirky-bashful way, and made sure to tell us that she thought Minnesota had the best beds in the world (she was sleeping a solid 12 hours every night).

The concert was as good as expected, because you receive nothing less from Regina Spektor, but I was bit let down that the first 9 songs (save for "Ode to Divorce") all came from Far, and every one was played alongside the additional instruments. I know Far is her most recent release, but at the same time, I wasn't expecting that many songs from one album nor in that sort of concentration. It saddened me to hear her say "That's an old one, some of you may not know it" after performing "Ode to Divorce," as if Soviet Kitsch was her unknown or forgotten album. For "Dance Anthem of the 80s," Regina stepped away from the grand piano to a Yamaha synthesizer, where she pressed various buttons to mimic the album's version and gave us all a much welcomed "SOLO."

The infamous seafoam electric guitar was brought out for Regina's guitar songs, "Bobbing for Apples" and "That Time", where Regina let loose and got wonderfully lost in her vocals while rocking it out with energetic strums. I know there's been some past debate on how many songs Regina can play on the guitar, but until I see evidence otherwise, those are the only two songs she's got. Regina returned back to the grand piano for a quieter, more intimate set of piano-only pieces consisting of Apres Moi, Poor Little Rich Boy, Lacrimosa and Man of A Thousand Faces. Although some may say that the song choice brought the concert down from the high energetic tone in which it had started, I think Regina is at her best when she is left with her piano and the freedoms of performing by herself, and I was certainly enjoying it more. The second half of the concert felt more relaxed and true. "Apres Moi" was beautifully expressive, especially when Regina softly and prophetically spoke the lyrics "Be afraid of the lame, they're inherit your legs, Be afraid of the old, they're inherit your souls," etc over the piano line. "Lacrimosa" was also exceptionally beautiful, but unfortunately I was not able to fully appreciate it due to the spectacle of dancing drunk girls in front of me. I wish Regina had gone into more of her older songs where her creativity really has moments to shine. I am quite shocked that she did not play "Ghost of Corporate Future" or "Consequence of Sounds," as those are what I consider to be classic Regina concert choices. I still dream of the day I get to hear "Rejazz," "Loveology" or "Baby Jesus" live.

The encore was one I was slightly dreading, as I knew it was going to pander to many in the audience who were only familiar with her radio-played numbers. Regina did play the standard "Sampson" and "Fidelity" alongside "Us" and "Hotel Song," but added some nice touches, like during "Sampson" when the backdrop behind Regina became a night sky and the entire theater audience was speckled with star-like lights. Regina performed a double encore number of "Love You're A Whore," a Country-esque song that is slightly raunchy (see photo, left, for her "harder! harder!"), quirky and fun. She let loose during that song, rocking back and forth and belting it all into the microphone. It was a fantastic and uplifting way to end the evening, and I think all would agree. Plus, Regina made this face:




Setlist: The Calculation, One More Time With Feeling, Eet, Machine, Two Birds, Laughing With, Ode to Divorce, Blue Lips, On the Radio, Dance Anthem of the 80s, Bobbing for Apples, That Time, Apres Moi, Poor Little Rich Boy, Lacrimosa, Man of a Thousand Faces. ENCORE: Sampson, Us, Hotel Song, Fidelity, Love You're A Whore

More Pictures...

Regina Spektor

Stream Regina's entire album!

Regina Spektor's upcoming album, Far, is now available in its entirety streaming on her myspace. Check it out.

new Regina Spektor video

Here is the new Regina Spektor video for her song "Laughing With" from her upcoming album far, due out June 23rd (pre-order the album on iTunes).

Laughing With

Regina Spektor Update!

Just in case you guys were unawares, Regina Spektor is coming out with a new album entitled Far on June 23th. I can't even begin to describe how excited I am about this, save for two reasons...

1. I am a snobby and obsessed Regina Spektor Fan. For reals. Not counting doubles, I have 183 songs of hers in my iTunes collection, because I download live concert mp3s and keep the unreleased songs she's created (and just assume that Regina writes like 2 new songs every day). Also, if you can't list the two songs Regina plays on guitar and what color guitar she plays, you are NOT allowed to stand in front of me at one of her concerts. Priority seating, people. Fans up front.

2. With this album, people who have only accustomed themselves to Fidelity and a few select songs from Begin to Hope will realize what Regina REALLY sounds like, because if you don't immediately think "anti-folk" when you think of Regina, you're in trouble. She's not a pop musician, she's anti-folk. And if you don't know that yet, Far will certainly let you know (I hope). The tracklist hasn't been released yet, but we do know that these songs will be included:

Blue Lips (I absolutely freaked out in public when I read this - I LOVE this song)
The Calculation
Folding Chair
The Genius Next Door
Eet
The Wallet
Laughing With


So here's a question for all you die-hard Regina Spektor fans: what song do you hope will be on the upcoming album? I'm guessing "One More Time With Feeling" with be on there, but my current superwish is "Loveology." Give it a listen, and tell me you agree.

Loveology [mp3]
Recorded 10-17-2004 at Tonic in NYC

Regina Spektor @ McCarren Park Pool

Friday night I was one of many people who braved the weather to see the fabulous Regina Spektor perform. In a way, though, the weather Gods went easy on us. It only really rained between sets (the rest of the time it just sprinkled), which was nice because that meant people didn't have their umbrellas up during the performances, so we could actually see. And Regina definitely made it worth our while to endure the rain.

First up was Albert Hammond, Jr., who I enjoyed immensely, even not being all that big a fan before Friday. He and his band were pretty much the perfect opener - good energy and poppy upbeat songs to get the audience grooving. There were three guitar players, though Hammond didn't seem to play while he was singing much, which I found interesting. Though he didn't own the stage per se, I think Hammond makes a good front man and he's just geeky enough for me to fall in love with him. And of course, his entire band is made up of attractive men, so that's a bonus.

Regina was of course amazing. Throughout the show she thanked us profusely for sticking around in the rain and when she first came out, she even took her water bottle and poured water over her head. She did a really long set too - over an hour, maybe even closer to an hour and a half. The stage looked beautiful with a bunch of colored lanterns all lit up against the back curtain. As always, she was completely adorable, delightful, engaging and funny. She forgot the lyrics a few times and I have to say the first time was kind of magical because she kept playing the piano and the audience continued the song for her. After that, unfortunately, her uber fans got kind of obnoxious, constantly yelling "I love you Regina!" or variations thereof. Plus they sang along to the whole show really loudly. Yes, we know you love her. That's why you paid $30-some dollars to see her. Please let her sing and be quiet so the rest of us who also love her can hear her, thanks.

I continue to be incredibly impressed by her beautiful voice and song writing. Speaking of the awesome ways she uses her voice - I also love the gross gagging sounds and fun squeaks she throws in here and there for dramatic effect. It's amazing how she sounds just the same as on her recordings live, so you know they aren't editing her voice at all in the studio. It was also fun because she had a small orchestral ensemble backing her up for a couple songs. I had hoped they would back her up for my favorite song of hers (which she did perform this time), Apres Moi. I can't say there was one particular crowd favorite. Every time a song started, the audience was in an uproar - they were so excited! There were at least 10 favorites, maybe more - Summer In The City, Samson, Music Box, Fidelity, Hotel Song, Us, and more.

Despite the rain, it was a great show. Just a little bit of a wet, cold show. And I want Regina Spektor to be my best friend.

Back to the 101 [mp3] - Albert Hammond, Jr. - "Yours To Keep" (iTunes)
Music Box [mp3] - Regina Spektor - "Begin to Hope" (iTunes)

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A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Yesterday was an absolutely perfect day here in New York City. I got up nice and early to go see Ms. Regina Spektor play at SoundFix Records for Record Store Day. I got in line at 10:30am, and I was honestly a little worried that I wasn't going to make it in, as the line was already pretty long. I did make it in however. I even got a "guaranteed entry" wristband (which some people who made it in via standby didn't have). Although I was probably in the last 10 people to get a wristband. The doors didn't open until after 1pm, but it was a beautiful day to wait in line for 2.5 hours.

When we finally got in, I got shoved in the back. That turned out to be not the worst thing in the world though because Regina entered right where I was standing, so I got this awesome picture:

She played about 6 songs. Unfortunately I couldn't see her all that well because this one tall guy with the bald spot was directly blocking my view (see right). Honestly, she was adorable. She giggled a lot. She was funny. When she first came in she said she felt like she was at a press conference because of all the cameras flashing. Then she goes "I'm like the Pope. What was that, God? Ok, I'll tell them." She also seemed very modest, as if she didn't really understand why all of us were there to see little old her. Her performance was great. Her voice is amazing. She made a few mistakes because, as she informed us, she has been working mostly on new stuff lately so she is forgetting some of the old stuff, but that just made the performance more real. At the end of the show, she stood up to do "Hotel Song" with a beat boxer and then I could finally see her decently well, so that was nice.

The other advantage of being in the back for the concert portion was that meant I was one of the first people to get her autograph. She was so sweet during the signing. And I got my picture taken with her but the kid who took the picture is apparently technologically inept - or at least when it comes to a camera that is more complex than a point-and-shoot. He couldn't grasp the concept of looking through the viewfinder, so the framing is terrible. Plus he took three in rapid succession while I was trying to explain how to use the camera, so they're pretty much the worst pictures ever taken of me.

After that was done, I headed over to Central Park to catch Matt Pond PA doing a performance for an Earth Day celebration. It was a cute little event - with a community mural made up of 1000 squares, each painted by a different person (yes, I painted one, and it was only slightly better than the 7 year old who was painting next to me. Ha) and the concert was powered by solar panels, which was pretty cool. There was a band that played before Matt Pond PA called Glint, but I wasn't really digging them, so we went and played frisbee instead on the very crowded lawn.

Matt Pond PA was good. It was pretty much the perfect music for the day - kind of laid back, peaceful rock music. They also had some playful dialogue with the audience. Matt Pond kept complaining about the heat, and by the end of the show his shirt was pretty much soaked with sweat. It got a little hot in the direct sunlight, even though it was for the most part otherwise the perfect temperature. And I have to guitarist Steve Jewell was one of the most nonchalant lead guitarists I've ever seen. When he had any kind of solo, he didn't milk it at all - you wouldn't have been able to tell it was him soloing if you weren't watching his hands. And his long hair covered his face half the time.

The concert seemed to also attract eccentric park-dwellers who wanted attention. There was this guy in ruffled skirts with flowers and bees sown on them, with funny hats (one of which I think was actually a purse upside down). His beard was painted, and he had a parrot and a poodle, both of which were also painted. I felt sorry for the animals. The guy kept going up in front of the stage and twirling around. At one point he went directly in front of one of the videographers (clearly trying to get on film) and the cameraman was just annoyed. There was also a guy who danced in front of the stage briefly dressed all in black with white iPod earbuds. Even his face was covered. I think he was trying to imitate the iPod commercials with the silhouettes of people dancing. It was random.

More pictures from Regina Spektor.

Hotel Song [mp3] - Regina Spektor - "Begin to Hope" (iTunes)

More pictures from Matt Pond PA.

Taught To Look Away [mp3] - Matt Pond PA - "Last Light" (iTunes)

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Record Store Day and more

Tomorrow is Record Store Day around the country, where artists will be performing (for FREE)/DJing/selling stuff to support smaller, independent record stores. I'm hitting up SoundFix Records in Williamsburg to see Regina Spektor. And if there's anyone in Lexington, KY reading this, go out to CD Central to see Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and The Duke Spirit. I'm a little bit jealous of that one since the closes BRMC seems to be getting to New York during their tour is rural Pennsylvania and they have spent very little time on the Eastern side of the country in general. Check out the website for the full list of participating artists and stores so go show your support for your local record store (although I have to say their website is really crappily put together - it's not that easy to figure out who's playing where).

On a rather unrelated note, Matt Pond PA is performing a free concert in Central Park tomorrow at 3pm. I'm going to try to get there too after things die down at SoundFix.

One Minnesota band - Tapes 'N' Tapes - that is participating in Record Store day here in New York (at Other Music) is also performing a show tonight at Irving Plaza and a show tomorrow night at Music Hall of Williamsburg with White Denim (from Texas) and Vampire Hands (also from Minneapolis).

Apparently there's a silent rave in Union Square tonight? Bring your headphones and get your groove thing on to the music of your choice. It starts at 6:17pm (not sure why they chose that time). It's on my way home from work so I think I will at least stop by and check it out. I read a (fictional) book where one of the characters tried to do this as an "art installation." In the book it failed miserably. But 6000 some people have RSVPed on facebook, so this event may actually turn out.

One last little side note - I'm sorry I've been rather neglectful in updating as of late. I had to play catch up when I got back from London, and work is getting busier and busier. I'm thinking of adding another writer or two to this blog though, so that I don't have the sole responsibility of updating. More on that later.

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Theme Thursday - Love

Since today is Valentine's day, the theme for today is love. And for those of you say "St. Valentine was a murderer and Valentine's day is a fake holiday invented by greeting card companies," I say, "yes, it is, but Coca-Cola invented the Santa Claus we know and love, so what's your point?" It's so interesting to me how people "rebel against consumerism" for this one day each year, but really they're just bitter. Besides, even though it can suck for single people (especially single girls, of which I've been one many a Valentine's day), what's wrong with having yet one more day to celebrate and do something special? And just think about all the delicious candy that's going to go on sale tomorrow. Mmmmmmm... Candy. Any holiday that revolves around chocolate can't be too bad in my book.

So that's the theme for the day and maybe the plethora of good music I am about to unleash will cheer you anti-Valentine's day people up (I've actually had a somewhat terrible day myself thanks to the lovely Metro Transit Authority and Con Ed). Instead of just finding songs with the word "love" in the songs for today though, I am going to post songs that I think are really romantic.

Umbrella [mp3] - Rihanna featuring Jay-Z - "Good Girl Gone Bad" (iTunes) - Yes, I know. You indie snobs reading this are probably vomiting right now. But it really is a sweet song. It's one of the few pop songs these days that isn't just about f***ing someone's brains out (though you can't really tell that from the music video... but oh well). Listen to the lyrics. "Now that it's raining more than ever, know what we'll still have each other. You can stand under my umbrella." It's actually a very nice, romantic, simple concept for a song. And yes, it's catchy as hell.

Song No. 6 [mp3] - Ane Brun featuring Ron Sexsmith - "A Temporary Dive" (iTunes). A sweet, pretty song about how it would be easy to write a song about someone. "I would spend three or four lines on describing your eyes. And then the next three or four lines on the dimples of your smile. And then I would tell the world about the way you hold my hand, and they would understand." Aaawwwwww...

You Picked Me [mp3] - A Fine Frenzy - "One Cell in the Sea" (iTunes). This song is very close to being too cheesy, but it's a pretty song and overall I like the sentiment it expresses of finding someone special amongst the millions of people in the world.

Oh, It Is Love [mp3] - Hellogoodbye - "Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs!" (iTunes). I actually wanted to post Here (In Your Arms), a sweet almost dance-able song about one of my favorite things - cuddling. I also like how how it emphasizes the joy in even the smallest of touches, like your cheeks brushing. But I can't post that one, so I'm posting this one instead, a very cute alternative.

Spoon Me [mp3] - Ohm - "Star Fall" (iTunes unavailable). I think the title is self-explanatory.

Fading in C# Minor [mp3] - Una - "One" (iTunes). For most of you this song might not be that romantic, but - as someone currently in a long-distance relationship - the longing that this song expresses is something that I can relate to.

Love Song [mp3] - Sheila Nicholls - "Wake" (iTunes unavailable). I was torn between this and her song Bread and Water (another song with an intense sense of longing - "it's bread and water without you...") but I already posted Bread and Water somewhat recently, and this song is a nice, positive song about love.

Thank You [mp3] - Dido - "No Angel" (iTunes). I almost didn't want to post this because it was so overplayed years ago, but it really is a great love song about how that special someone can magically make everything ok. Dido has a lot of great love songs like Here With Me, Take My Hand, and the rather sad White Flag.

These Words (I Love You, I Love You) [mp3] - Natasha Bedingfield - "Unwritten" (iTunes). Another song I was hesitant to post because of overplay when it came out (and I know you hipsters are probably trying not to throw up again). Also another song about writing a love song. And she's right, there's no better way to say "I love you."

My Man (Medley) [mp3] - Regina Spektor - "Live at Bull Moose" (iTunes unavailable). A mildly disturbing song about a very unhealthy relationship, but I think that everyone experiences this kind of totally unhealthy blind love at some point.

Fairytale [mp3] - Sara Bareilles - "Careful Confessions" (iTunes). This is a song for all you bitter V-day haters out there. A sasssy, cynical commentary on the unrealistic romance of fairytales. Again, I was torn between this and her song Love Song, another slightly bitter song ("I'm not going to write you a love song cuz you asked for it, cuz you need one..."). Something tells me Ms. Bareilles has not had the best of luck with men.

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Theme Thursday - Masochism

A few things before I get to Theme Thursday. 1. Photos and a detailed description of The Mp3 Experiment 4 are up on Improv Everywhere's site. 2. I got to see a preview (or well, my friend called it a preview but according to their website, the play runs August 8th to September 9th, so I'm not sure why she called it a preview) of Shakespeare in the Park's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" last night. It was very enjoyable, despite the slightly chilly weather (but hey, it's no more chilly than most of the air conditioned theaters). And it didn't rain, so that's good. The second half of the play is definitely way better than the first half, so don't leave at intermission (I overheard a guy at a restaurant later saying he left at intermission because he was cold and I told him he missed out). I literally laughed so hard I cried. My favorite part (and I think everyone's favorite part) was the play-within-the-play. The only thing I didn't like was how much music they incorporated, particularly at the very end when they ended it with a boring song instead of just the monologues. The music seemed unnatural. It didn't quite fit and a lot of those actors aren't singers, so it didn't even really sound that great. For the most part the acting was great, although I didn't like the way Mireille Enos overplayed the role of Hermia. I'd have to say my favorites were the workers-turned-actors (who put on the play-within-the-play toward the end). They were all such characters and cracked me up every time they did anything. A word of warning to you if you go though, you have to get in line for tickets (because they're free) by about 7am even though the box office doesn't open until 1pm. I tried to go to Romeo and Juliet but I got there at like 9:30am and was already way behind the cut-off point. Luckily I got these tickets through a friend, so there was no waiting in line involved (I love theater but I am not about to stand in line - or "on line" as New Yorkers like to say - for 6 or so hours). Anyway, now on to Theme Thursday.

Since nobody gave me any suggestions, and since I did sadism last week, I thought I would make this week's theme masochism. Music for Masochists? Yay aliteration. This one should be a lot easier. As I said before, a lot of songs about unrequited love have a certain masochistic undertone.

Let's start with a classic 90s pop song: Love Fool [mp3] - The Cardigans - "First Band on the Moon" (iTunes). This song and I have a sordid (and masochistic) history and so it was the first one I thought of. It's so catchy and upbeat, despite it's rather depressing premise. Maybe this song doesn't seem masochistic to everyone else, but staying with someone you know doesn't really love you is pretty masochistic in my book.

Another upbeat-sounding song: Again and Again [mp3] - The Bird and The Bee - "The Bird and The Bee" (iTunes). This song's masochistic undertones are more subtle. But the lyrics have that sense of repeating mistakes because you just can't help yourself and it hurts but you can't get enough of it. Lyrics: "You're so stupid and perfect and stupid and perfect. I hate you, I want you, I hate you, I hate you. Again, again, again." I'd say it fits.

Mama Mia [mp3] - ABBA - "ABBA Gold" (iTunes). This song is the epitome of that whole "not letting go when you really should" thing I have been describing this whole entry. This one's pretty upbeat too. Why are all masochistic songs so upbeat? Strange, right?

Kill! Kill! Kill! [mp3] - The Pierces - "Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge" (iTunes). I don't know if this song is so much masochistic as just about not being able to get over someone. But I'm totally obsessed with The Pierces and have been looking for a excuses to post about them again. Seriously people, "Thirteen Tales..." is definitely on my list for best albums of 2007. Listen to it. Love it.

My Man (Medley) [mp3] - Regina Spektor - "Live at Bull Moose" (iTunes unavailable). I'd say this one fits the theme best so far. "My man don't treat me right... but he loves me, he loves me, he really really loves me..." And hey, this one's not so upbeat either.

Ok, that's all for today. Leave theme ideas for next Theme Thursday! Tata dahlings.

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Currently on repeat

So I didn't end up going to Spoon last night because it was pouring and thundering beforehand so I thought it might be canceled (that and I just wasn't in the mood to get soaked). From the sounds of it, it wasn't actually canceled after all. Oh well, que sera sera.

Tonight I have decided (rather than pay $30 to see The Pierces, despite how much I love them) to go see Ron Sexsmith for free. While I have never actually really heard any of his music, he is featured on the song "Song No. 6" by Ane Brun, which is one of my favorite songs of the moment. The fact that this song is currently on repeat on my playlist actually says a lot about it. It takes a lot more for me to like calmer songs than upbeat songs lately. This song is very calm, but it is just so sweet and romantic. It's a song about singing a song about the person you love. I really like the rhythm of the chorus. That's actually what made me give the song a chance in the first place. I found this song on a Paste Magazine music sampler. If you don't know Paste Magazine, you should get on that. It comes with a free CD of up-and-coming music every month, and usually a DVD with videos on it too.

Another song currently on repeat is the song "Apres Moi" by Regina Spektor, from her 2006 album "Begin to Hope". I have this bad habit where I tend to listen to the same 50 songs on repeat (what the 50 songs are changes as I go through different phases of finding new music and getting sick of old music) despite my 30 gigs of music on my iPod. In an effort to expand my musical horizons and stop experiencing music ruts and feel like I'm not wasting valuable computer space, I have begun to listen to my entire music library on shuffle. Somehow, this amazing song had gone unlistened to until a few days ago when it popped up on shuffle. It has been on my iPod since at least December and I didn't even know it. The title of the song comes from the famous line "Apres moi, le deluge" (English translation: after me, the flood) by King Louis XV of France. That's really interesting that he said this because 15 years after he died was the French Revolution, so he was definitely right. Anyway, the song by Regina Spektor is one of the most haunting (I know I use that word a lot but apparently I love haunting music), dramatic songs I've heard in a long time. This song has pretty much everything I love about music - it's dramatic, it builds, it has an awesome piano part and there are string instruments. It also stood out to me because a lot of her music is very sparse sounding - very few instrumental parts and her voice. Don't get me wrong, I like a lot of her songs and the sparseness works, but this song is so full and rich. It has a heavy piano part plus a ton of other instruments. And it builds. I love songs that build. For a lot of the beginning it is just her and her voice (though the piano part is not so sparse as in some of her other songs), but toward the end more instruments come in, the piano part gets even heavier and backup vocals come in too. Really, the perfect song by my standards.

Even though I didn't go to Spoon, I'll include one of my favorite Spoon songs (and one of their most popular, I know. I'm running low on time today to really look and think about what song of theirs I should put up), which I also got off a Paste Magazine music sampler too. "I Turn My Camera On." Ok, that's all for today. Tata dahlings.

Song No. 6 by Ane Brun ft. Ron Sexsmith - iTunes
Apres Moi by Regina Spektor - iTunes
I Turn my Camera On by Spoon - iTunes